I'll admit, I stole this from another blog I follow...but what a wonderful way to end a year! Jeff is in bed, resting up for his early morning, and Jack is in bed, resting up for his 2am feeding (although with our newly purchased Brookstone noisemaker, I'm hoping we'll make a little later...dare I say through the night????) I was a little nostalgic of the year gone by and happy to reflect on the joys that 2009 brought us!Reflection Questions for 2009 1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?OMG, Jack, for sure!! 2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?Again, Jack...especially the first month...I know Jeff and I argued more in that month than we have our whole relationship. What a tough time. Yes, yes, people told us it would be hard...but there's no way you can imagine it until you live it! And then there was the whole breastfeeding trauma...3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?I hate to say Jack again, but I just didn't know how much I would love him! Is it a cop out that the first 3 answers are all the same???5. Pick three words to describe 2009.Having a baby!6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).A bit harder...I'll go with "becoming a mom".7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking).Uh..."becoming a dad"? 8. What were the best books you read this year?This makes me realize how little I've read this year. I mean I feel like all I've read are "getting ready for baby" books and "what to do with your baby once it's here" books! I have loved Your Pregnancy/Baby's First Year Week by Week9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?I feel like this is getting repetitive...Jack! I remember in the beginning, no matter how much I loved him, I didn't know him. All I knew was that he was hungry and peed and pooped all the time. Now, after only 3.5 months, I have an actual relationship with him! He knows me, and I know him. I recognize signs that others don't. We have our own special relationship and I just love it. And my relationship with Jeff has changed into a truly wonderful relationship of help and support. It has been such a blessing to see him fully embrace the daddy role! I love it.10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?Well, let's see...becoming a mommy! What a huge paradigm shift. 11. In what way did you grow emotionally?I have definitely learned that I'm not as important as I thought I was...in a good way! 12. In what way did you grow spiritually?Man do I have a long way to go. Jeff and I were talking tonight that we have such a long way to go...and such a responsibility! My prayer for this year is that I would embrace the discipline of spending time in the Word each day...that I would grow closer to the Lord so that I can truly manage our household in a way that is honoring to Him!13. In what way did you grow physically?Let's see...does gaining 50 prego pounds count? Let's hope that next year I can answer this question with "losing all of my prego pounds!"!14. In what way did you grow in your relationships with others?I have become inherently able to sympathize and empathize with the mom of the screaming infant at Target. Bless her heart! 15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?I LOVE dressing Jack...it's embarrassingly enjoyable! Sometimes he has to change if I decide I don't like what he's wearing...I even love doing his laundry because it means I get to dress him in my favorite outfits soon! It's silly...I mean what the heck am I going to do when he has an opinion!16. What was your most challenging area of home management?Everything except dressing Jack. Seriously, I think from pretty much January through November I didn't cook a meal, my closet was the unfolded pile of laundry on the couch, dishes were always in the sink, we had a minor bug problem in the kitchen due to the lack of cleaning...wow. Lots of challenges there...17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?Laying on the couch with my feet up to try (unsuccessfully, I might add) to prevent my feet from swelling.18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?Spending time with Jack!! It's truly hard for me to thing that anything happened before September 13th, 2009...I just don't remember it!19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?Staying home with Jack is worth any monetary sacrifice we might have to make. Nothing is worth missing out on the monumental moments I get to be a part of day in and day out! Every poop, every screech, every roll is worth being here for!20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you.This one's tough! We lost a lot of wonderful people in 2009...Jeff's grandma and grandpa, the wonderful friend who set Jeff and I up on our first date, the sweet friend who recommended me for the teaching position where I met so many dear friends...and we gained Jack, who has been a bigger blessing than I could have possibly imagined. So really, I don't have a phrase or statement, just thankful for the blessings of friends and family, and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in 2010!Maybe next year my answers will be more varied...probably not...but maybe?